Bank-lock



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. G. HARIG 8v D. O. STOY.

LOCK.

No. 11,374. Patented July 25, 1854'.

2 Sheets-S'het 2,

A. C. HAR'IG 85 D. C.'STOY.

LOCK.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID C. STOY AND AUGUSTUS G. HARI G, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

BANK-LOCK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 11,374, dated July 25, 1854:; Reissued August 22, 1854, No. 2'75.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that we, DAVID 0-STOY and AUGUSTUS O. HARIG, of Louisville, in the county of J eiferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Lock; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, Fig ure 1 being a side view of the lock; Fig. 2, an opposite side view thereof; Fig. 3, a plan of the interior arrangement thereof when it is locked and the key is withdrawn; Fig. 4, a similar View after the key has been inserted and has operated the tumblers previous to lifting and shooting the bolt; Fig.

5, a similar view of the lock in the same position as in Fig. 4, the tumblers and parts of the lock immediately connected therewith being removed to show the arrangement of the bolt and its dependent parts more distinctly; Fig. 6, a corresponding view, showing the position of the look after the bolt has been raised or vibrated preparatory to shooting it; Fig. 7 an opposite interior view of the look in the position represented in Fig. 3; Fig. 8, a side elevation of the usher and key detached in the same position as shown in Fig. 45; Fig. 9, a section of the same in the line w w of Fig. 8; Fig. 10, a section of the same in the line y y of Fig. 8, but in the position represented in Fig. 6; Fig. 11, a section thereof in the line y 3 and in the position of Fig. 8; Fig. 12, a de tached view of the clamp for confining the fixed tumblers; Fig. 13, a longitudinal section of the key.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The 1st feature of our invention is the .self-adjusting guard Z, arranged and op The second feature of our invention consists in the arrangement and combination of the cam E, (which operates the bolt,) with the dog G, and the eccentric notch 2',

in the usher C, in such a inanner that while the key, or any instrument substituted in its place, may be operating upon the tumblers, the said cam shall be intercepted by the dog, so thatxit can not be brought into contact with the bolt till said key, or instrument, shall have moved the tumblers as far as it is capable, for the purpose of preventing the act of feeling the positions of the tumblers, while the. key, or substituted instrument, may be moving them, substantially as hereinafter fully described.

The bolt is jointed at a, in order to allow the heel portion B, thereof to vibrate transversely a certain distance, while its head A, has only a longitudinal motion; but the pivot a, serves principally to determine the center of vibration and keep the heel-piece in position, since any force which might be applied against the end of the bolt is sus- 1 tained by. the end ofsaid heel-piece abutting against a shoulder in the head A, of the bolt, as shown in Fig. 7. The joint is notabsolutely necessary, but preferable to the alterative of giving a vibratory motion, however slight, to the head of the bolt. At the rear end of the bolt are situated two studs, or projections, 79, b, in the positions represented, firmly secured to, or forming part of, the case of the lock. The heel-piece of the bolt is provided with notches, which receive the studs when the bolt is in a hori-' zontal position, and thus allow the bolt to be shot back; but, when'locking, the end of the heel-piece vibrates, or slides down trans verselyyand causes projections c, c, thereon to abut against said studs, which thereby securely prevent the bolt being moved back by any forcetill the heel-piece is again per mitted to be raised to a horizontal position, by the tumblers, in the manner presentlyito be described. The bolt is operated by means of a cam E, which vibrates with its pivot D. The pivot is turned by an ordinary door knob, or by means of a key, (or removable handle,) to be inserted in a suitable aperture in its projecting end, as represented in the drawings. Said cam is substantiallyof the form shown in the drawings, and its projection 41), first strikes an inclined edge of the bolt, by which it lifts the bolt to the proper position to be shot back, as indicated in Fig. 6, then entering a notch therein shoots the bolt in either direction. The bolt is, again drawn down before the studs, 6, b, after being shot out, by means of a strip J, (Figs. 5 and 6,) which, being provided with a projection e, to be depressed by the cam E, andawith a shoulder projecting over the upper edge of the bolt, is thereby enabled to accomplish its purpose. When the bolt is again raised, in unlocking, its upper edge,

fits accurately into a longitudinal notch in the rear end of the bolt, so that it must vibrate therewith, but will not prevent the free play of the bolt lengthwise, and also passes through longitudinal slots in the sliding tumblers R, R, &c., (Figs. 3, and 4,) made just wide enough to receive it. Consequently it compels said tumblers and bolt to vibrate inseparably together. Their slots are of suflicient length to allow the necessary longitudinal motion of the tumblers, apart from their vibratory motion. The tumblers are respectively furnished with projections r1, 2, 3, 4,'-at their vibratory ends, which fit nicely into corresponding notches in a se ries of fixed, adjustable plates 8 s, &c., arranged by the side of said tumb ers. These plates, for the purpose of distinction, we designate female tumblers. hen the heel of the bolt is depressed, after being shot out, the projections 'r'l, 2, 3, etof the sliding tumblers are withdrawn from the notches 1, 2, 3, 4, of the female tumblers, and immediately forced longitudinally away therefrom, by means of spring fingers t1, 2, 3, 4tas exhibited in Fig. 3. Hence before the bolt can be again raised into a horizontal position, to enable it to be shot back, all the projections, r-l, 2, 3, 4rmust be brought precisely opposite their correspond ing notches in the. female tumblers, so as to enter therein, as represented in Fig. 1. This is done by means of a suitable key S, acting against projections a, a, &,c., (Figs. 3 and 4,) on the sliding tumblers. Said tumblers are arranged, so as always to vibrate on a certain center a, near the projections a, a, &c., in whatever position, the edges thereof which bear against the female tumblers, as well as the projections r 1, 2, 3, tand their receiving notches 1, 2, 3, 4l--being formed concentric therewith. Both sets of tumblers slide in a suitable frame Q, which guides them in their motions, keeps them in place and properly separatedby thin inter vening plates or washers, if necessary. The whole fixtures of the tumblers are attached to a plate N, which is screwed to the lock, above the bolt and its fixtures, as represented, a slot being made in said plate to enable the pin L, to vibrate.

The key S, has a number of bits1, 2, 3, 4requa1 to the number. of tumblers, against which they respectively act. These bits are placed upon a square shank, and secured there by a cap a, (Fig. 13,) screwed upon the end thereof. They are removable at pleasure, for the purpose of changing their order of permutation or for substituting other bits, of which the own-er may provide himself with any number. A handle T, is provided, which is screwed into the key to withdraw the same from the lock, but must be detached therefrom when the key is to be used. The key is introduced into the lock by means of a solid disk or cylinder 0, (which we designate the usher,) vibrating on its axis within an inclosing case P, inside of the lock. In one end of said usher, near the edge opposite to the tumblers, a depression is made of suitable size and shape to receive the key, which is inserted therein through a key-hole in the case of the lock, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3. The key is then carried around to the tumblers and made to operate against their projections a, a, &c., by turning the usher with a knob attached thereto through the door, or by means of a key (or removable handle) inserted into a suitable depression M, in the usher, in the same manner as that described for operating the cam E. The usher is returnedto its original position, in order to bring back the key to the key-hole, by the action of a coiled spring 79, (Figs. 10 and 11,) secured by one end to the usher and by the other end to the fixed pivot thereof. The extent of vibration given to the usher is limited, in both directions, by means of a pin a, passing through the case P, and projecting thence into a groove 0, of the proper length, in the periphery of said usher, as shown in Fig. 9. It is obvious that, as the key cavity in the usher is immediately carried from under the key-hole in the case, when moved toward the tumblers, and no space intervenes between the case and solid parts of the usher, it is impossible for a wire or any other instrument to reach the tumblers through the key-hole. This feature alone we do not claim as new; but no lock heretofore constructed, (so far as we are aware,) with an usher, or its equivalent, has any' provision against the introduction of a suitably curved instrument, or of powder,

through the key-hole into the key cavity,

and thence into the lock through'the curved groove 79, which extends around in the periphery of the usher from said key cavity to the tumblers, and which is rendered necessary for the reception of the projections a, a, &c., of said tumblers. To prevent the possibility of thus obtaining access to the interior of the lock, we employ the following device :A steel plate, or bar, Z, (Figs. 10 and 11,) wide enough to close the groove 70, is fitted into a transverse aperture through the usher, so that it will freely slide lengthwise therein. Its length is just suflicient to cavity is under the jkeyhole,-(as inFig. 10,)

itwill entirely close the groovek, thereby beyond the key cavity and no more powder X can be introduced therein than said cavity will itself contain; consequently no harm can be done in that way. As soon as the key has acted upon the tumblers, so as to bring their projections r1, 2, 3, t-tO the precise position for entering the notches of the female tumblers it is held there until the bolt is raised ready to be shot back, by means of r a dog G, which is forced by a spring 72., into a notch j, (Fig. 7,) in the usher,brought op- 13081156 to recelve it at the proper moment.

The dog is again withdrawn from said notch to allow the usher to return to its former position, by the action of the arm E, at the moment of shooting the bolt. A projection e,

on said cam is so arranged that, at the proper time, it will strike and depress a vibrating arm F, (which is coupled to the dog G, by a slot and pin 9,) sulficiently to with draw said dog from the notch j, whereupon the spring 0, immediately forces back the usher, with its key, to the key-hole, as represented in Fig. 6. In this latter position, a notch 2', (Fig. 7,) in the usher, receives the dog, which is raised therefrom by the action of the inclined, or eccentric, side of said notch, from the motion of the usher itself. The usher can also, at any time, be set free from the dog by turning the cam E, in the other direction, so that its projection 10, will bear upon the projections f, of the armF, the same result following as above described.

The usual method of picking tumbler locks, resorted to by expert picklocks, is

by introducing some instrument through the key-hole, so as to move the tumblers, one by one, and, at the same time, trying the bolt in order to feel when each tumbler, in turn, is in the right position to allow the bolt to pass, (which a nice sense of touch would generally enable him to do, even with the utmost accuracy of construction,) then, having noted those positions of the tumblers, a key is made accordingly, and the lock is opened. In our lock, evenif it were possible to reach the tumblers by any instrument, for that purpose, (which we have shown to be impracticable,) we have the following device, to preventthe operation of feeling, above mentioned:-A projection on the dog G, is so arranged that, when the dog is pushed back by the usher G, in the act of conveying the key to, and of operat- .adaptation to any keys within the proper limit of size. This feature is produced by making the female tumblers, above described, adjustable to the key to be used, in the following manner :Said tumblers are held in any desired position by means of a clamp H, which is controlled by inserting a key into, and turning a nut I, (Figs. 1, 7, and 12,) that fits upon the screw shank of said clamp. The arrangement is shown detached in Fig. 12. Whenever it is required to adapt the lock to a different key, the clamp H, is loosened, and all the female tumblers are immediately drawn back to the same position by springs g, g, &c., (Figs. 8 and 4,) in which position their notches will admit the projections of the sliding tumtumblers, which necessarily brings the female tumblers into exactly the right positions to admit the sliding tumblers whenever operated by that key. They are therefore immovably secured in those positions by binding the clamp. The owner may consequently provide himself with an unlimited number of key-bits, and thus, by using different bits and permutations thereof, may change the key as often as he chooses, the look, by the above device, being in a few seconds adapted to any change of key. Even by filing off one of the bits very slightly, the key willbecome a difierent one, and will not open the lock till adapted to it. At the same time. we secure all the advantages to be gained by the ordinary permuta tions of tumblers. Four tumblers are represented in the drawings; but any number may be employed according to circumstances or the desire of the purchaser.

We claim 1. The self-adjusting guard Z, arranged and operating in the usher G, in such a manner that the introduction of powder or picking instruments, into the look through the key-hole, is effectually prevented, substantially in the manner herein specified.

2. Te also claim, the arrangement and combination of the cam E, which operates the bolt, the dog G, and the eccentric notch 2' in the usher G in such a manner that While the key, or any instrument substitu- In Witness that the above is a true specited therefor, may be operating upon the fication of our improved combination lock, tumblers, the said cam shall be intercepted We hereunto subscribe our names. by the dog, so that it can not be brought D. C. STOY.

5 into contact With the bolt, till said key, or I AUGUSTUS C. HARIG.

instrument, shall have moved the tumblers Witnesses to D. G. Stoy:

as far as it is capable, for the purpose of Z. G. ROB INS,

preventing the act of feeling the posi- J. S. BROWN.

tions of the tumblers, While the key, or sub- Witnesses to Augustus C. Harig. 10 stituted instrument, may be moving them, JOHN PATTERSON,

substantially as herein described. I. T. OWEN;

[FIRST PRINTED 1913.] 

